A conversation with your average Greek about debt

-We have to get more loans just to pay the interest! We will never manage to pay it off!

So what do you propose?

-Write all the debt off so we can recover.

But that would mean other Europeans having to pay for it.

-Yes, but you are all richer than us. We have very very high unemployment.

You do, eh? Are those unemployed looking for work?

-Of course they are!

So why are the cafeterias full of young people paying three times the price of a coffee in other European cities?

-That’s not typical. There are really poor people in Greece in other areas.

Oh really? Can you show me one indicator that supports the idea that Greeks are poor?

-We don’t need indicators. People are dying on the streets.

More than they are dying in other European cities? This is inaccurate. You have the least deaths of homeless people or elderly people. They are living better than others.

-Because we care! We have extended families.

No, because half the population lives with handouts from the Public Sector. Either pensions you receive much earlier than other Europeans, or civil servant positions which are ridiculous…

-We work more than other Europeans!

Well, it must be pretty unproductive work, because your country keeps needing more money.

-Not our fault. All our governments are sold out to the Americans and to Europe. They suck our blood and get richer as we get poor.

Well, why are you allowing your government to make fools of you in Brussels now, demanding ridiculous things in the most rude way possible?

-They are heroes! Someone had to stand up to the bloody Germans!

Germans have less than 50% home ownership. Greeks are above 90%.

-That is simply a different culture.

Germans share car rides, prefer buying used clothes, have price differentiation in their product lines because they shop around for price.

-Well that’s just miserable! We Greeks don’t bother with rubbish like that.

My point is, Germans and other Europeans try to save their money. If they don’t have enough money, they go to the movies on a Monday afternoon when it is cheaper, they split their restaurant bills based on what they ate.

-What an awful idea! In Greece we don’t scimp like that! We order plenty food and then fight over who will pay the bill.